Line #41 Wrestling/JimFullington


1	[[quoteright:252:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jimfullington_3591.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:252: ''"Pop one open, light one up and let's get EXTREME!"'']]
3
4	->''"'He is the originator of the Singapore cane!' noted [Mike] Tenay. Yeah, screw all those Singaporeans who used it before Jim Fullington."''
5	-->--'''''Website/{{WrestleCrap}}''''', [[http://www.wrestlecrap.com/inductions/hardcore-justice-the-one-night-stand-wed-all-regret-the-next-morning/ "Hardcore Justice: The One Night Stand We'd All Regret the Next Morning"]]
6
7	'''''[[Music/{{Metallica}} EEEEEEEEEEXIT LIGHT!!! EEEENNNNNNTER NIGHT!!!]]'''''
8
9	...sorry, force of habit.
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11	James Fullington (born June 16, 1963) is a retired American[[note]]Depending on the source, he's either from Philadelphia, Utah or Tampa.[[/note]] {{professional wrestl\|ing}}er known as '''The Sandman.''' He is best known for his time in Wrestling/{{ECW}}, where he was a 5x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ecw/ecw-h.html NWA ECW Heavyweight/ECW World Heavyweight Champion]] and a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ecw/ecw-t.html ECW World Tag Team Champion]] with [[Wrestling/TooColdScorpio 2 Cold Scorpio]].
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13	His began his career as Mr. Sandman in 1989, when he primarily wrestled in Tri-State Wrestling Alliance under a surfer gimmick. He struck gold in the mid-nineties, when ECW Vice-President Tod Gordon suggested that he mould a gimmick around his own powerful personality: the wetsuits were mercifully now out, and the black wifebeaters and kendo sticks were in. While not the most gifted worker, that [[WrestlingPsychology arguably played to his advantage]] and he knew how to work a crowd; Wrestling/PaulHeyman knew a marketing hook when he saw it and dubbed Sandman "[[TheFace The Ambassador of Extreme]]".
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15	Sandman was among the talent who jumped ship to Wrestling/{{WCW}} (as Hak) when ECW began to crumble in '99, but his ImprovFu and edgy gimmicks did not translate to a national stage (even in a neutered "[[LighterAndSofter Hardcore Division]]"), and he withdrew to ECW before the year was up.
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17	In 2005, WWE came knocking when they were in the middle of reviving the ECW brand. The company wisely kept Sandman offstage the majority of the time, employing him as a kind of vigilante who appeared when some injustice was done. In June 2007 he got drafted into ''[[Wrestling/WWERaw Raw]]'', but was soon released from his contract on September of that year. Since then he has run with many promotions, including International Wrestling Cartel (where he became IWC Heavyweight Champion), Wrestling/{{MLW}} and Wrestling/{{TNA}} as part of its ECW reunion show, ''[=HardCORE Justice=]''.
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19	Not to be confused with the [[TheSandman mythological character]] (we think), the [[ComicBook/TheSandman Neil Gaiman comic]], or ''[[VideoGame/PunchOut Mr.]]'' [[VideoGame/PunchOut Sandman]].
20	----
21	!! "These tropes are politically incorrect, and damn proud of it!":
22	* NinetiesAntiHero: Had every indicator of being a heel, but he's too cool for that. He did indeed do a heel run in XPW for a year.
23	* AlternateCompanyEquivalent: To the point that some people thought Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin was ripping ''him'' off by cursing and drinking beer. Which becomes even funnier when people who hadn't seen the Sandman in the original ECW wondered if ''he'' was ripping off ''Austin!'' Of course, as beer-drinking brawlers, they were ''both'' following in the tradition of Wrestling/DickTheBruiser and Wrestling/TheCrusher.
24	* ArchEnemy:
25	** Wrestling/TommyDreamer, [[Wrestling/MickFoley Cactus Jack]], Wrestling/ShaneDouglas, Wrestling/MikeyWhipwreck, Wrestling/{{Sabu}}, Justin Credible, Wrestling/{{Rh\|yno}}ino.
26	** Most of all, '''Wrestling/{{Raven}}''', who, in 1996, turned Sandman's ''wife'' Lori and then '''7-year-old''' ''son'' Tyler against him.
27	* BashBrothers: With 2 Cold Scorpio, Tommy Dreamer, [[Wrestling/TheDudleyBoys Little Spike Dudley]], and Wrestling/TerryFunk.
28	* {{Beergasm}}: Chugs on his way to the ring. Has also shown up and wrestled after getting drunk beforehand.
29	* BigDamnHeroes: This is usually his role at Shane Douglas' Extreme Rising shows, running in to make the save for the {{Face}}s by caning their opponents.
30	* BitingTheHandHumor:
31	** Creator/{{SyFy}} mandated that there had to be some supernatural or alien wrestlers on the revamped ECW to justify a place on their esteemed network. The Sandman caning a zombie was Heyman's response to that mandate.
32	** Averted in his actual relationship in the WWE. He knew his style didn't mesh well with the current WWE product and probably wouldn't last long there. Once he was released he had nothing but good things to say about the WWE.
33	* BloodKnight: As Wrestling/PaulHeyman said on the ''Rise and Fall of ECW'' [=DVD=]:
34	-->"Here was just a tough guy looking for a fight. And the fans loved him."
35	* TheCameo: In what would later be revealed to be the first example of WWE working with ECW, Sandman got to stand up and spit beer in Savio Vega's face during his Caribbean strap match against [[Wrestling/JohnBradshawLayfield Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw]] at ''WWF in Your House 10: Mind Games,'' September 22, 1996, which was held in Philadelphia.
36	* CanCrushingCranium: Would bust himself open before he even got to the ring by smashing beer cans against his head.
37	-->'''Wrestling/JoeyStyles:''' He's already [[BloodUpgrade busted open]]; the match hasn't even begun yet!
38	* CatchPhrase: Would start promos with a loud "'''YOOOOO!''''"
39	* CombatPragmatist: What was commonplace in ECW had a rule against it in WWE, not like he followed too many of the rules anyway.
40	* ContentWarnings: The back of the T-shirt in the page photo has the following warning:
41	-->"PARENTAL WARNING: Sandman Has Been Known To Promote Smoking, Drinking And Ass Kicking. Keep Away From Childern[sic]."
42	* CrowdSong: The crowd would sing along with "Enter Sandman" during his entrance. During the actual match, they'd chant, "Fuck em up Sandman fuck em up!" or sometimes "Sandman's gonna kill you! Sandman's gonna kill you!"
43	* DrunkenMaster: He would drink beer on his way to the ring and sometimes even during the matches. It also led to the names of some of his big moves.
44	* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: His SurferDude gimmick. Even when he transitioned into the more well-known version of the Sandman gimmick, he initially wore rather colorful pajamas, rather than the black sleveless T-shirt and jeans he would become associated with.
45	* EurekaMoment: One fateful night, Sandman forgot his wrestling boots before an ECW show, and apologized to Wrestling/PaulHeyman for it backstage, to which Heyman replied, "I don't give a fuck." This moment made Sandman realize he didn't have to wear wrestling gear anymore. It was from there that The Sandman as we know today was born.
46	-->'''Sandman:''' Dude, it was a fuckin' lightbulb goin' off in my head when Paul Heyman says, "I don't give a fuck if you're wearin' wrestling boots." I'm like "Boom...I'm not even gonna change. I'm gonna wear the clothes - I'm gonna show up to the arena and dude, I'm gonna be me. I'm just gonna be fuckin' me out there."
47	* {{Expy}}: Sandman's badass, beer-drinking brawler character can be traced back to Wrestling/DickTheBruiser and the Wrestling/TheCrusher.
48	* FinishingMove: Piledriver, [[DeathFromAbove Bitchin' Legdrop]], DDT, White Russian Legsweep, [=Heinekenrana=], Rolling Rock Senton.
49	* FryingPanOfDoom: Infamously was on the receiving end of this (which also stopped the "fans bring your own weapons to the show" practice), as Wrestling/MickFoley merely thought he was using a cheap frying pan from a nearby dollar store. Nope. And according to Mick it took "two weeks for his brain to unscramble."
50	* GarbageWrestler: To the point that, when he actually would pull off regular wrestling moves, and do them ''well'', it stood out.
51	* HalfTruth: During the "Who is [[Wrestling/VinceMcMahon Mr. McMahon]]'s illegitimate son?" storyline, the payoff had numerous possible suspects in the ring, which were eliminated one by one as clues were read out by a lawyer to the "son"'s identity. However, according to the eventual revealee Hornswoggle in a shoot interview well after the fact, Sandman stayed in the ring ''long'' after it was his cue to leave. He had a reason, in his own mind, to stay: all the descriptors the lawyer was rattling off applied to him as well. They eventually had to call an audible to get him to leave.
52	* HiddenDepths: For a guy who has the body of a GarbageWrestler (because he is one), he has the brain of a Rhodes scholar. (The Sandman's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsSK018TfVw pre-teen son]] has him beat, though.) Something he has in common with Wrestling/JamesMitchell, according to the documentary ''Forever Hardcore''.
53	-->"So instead of [[HookersAndBlow screwing rats and shooting drugs]] like everybody probably assumed we were doing, a night of me and Sandman going was, ''(raspy shouting)'' "YO! RED GUY! I WANT YA TO THINK OF A COUNTRY BELOW THE 38TH PARALLEL, AND IT'S A DICTATORSHIP!" Czechoslovakia. "PURR-FECT!! HOW'D YA KNOW THAT?! NOW, WHAT WAS THE DICTATOR'S NAME?" Sit up and play trivia all night."
54	* IApprovedThisMessage: In 2006, WWE renamed their ''Taboo Tuesday'' [=PPV=], where fans would get to vote online on who they wanted in matches and/or what kinds of matches would be on the show, ''Cyber Sunday.'' The Sandman was one of the three potential opponents, along with Wrestling/ChrisBenoit and Wrestling/{{Kane}} (who was the winner of the vote, but not the match), for Wrestling/{{Umaga}}. The Sandman cut a promo urging the fans to vote for him. As this was a mid-term election year, he ended his promo with, "I'm the Sandman, and I approved this message."
55	* INeedAFreakingDrink: Called out for a beer after Wrestling/TheDudleyBoys had defeated him and Dreamer in the main event of ''ECW One Night Stand 2005''. He finally got it, courtesy of Stone Cold …who was clearly, ''clearly'' drunk off his ass himself. [[HilarityEnsues Hilarity ensued.]]
56	* {{Jerkass}}: In his feud with Peaches (his RealLife wife Lori) in 1994.
57	* {{Leitmotif}}: Music/{{Metallica}}'s "Enter Sandman", often doubling as a CrowdSong.
58	* MadeOfIron: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NemAYtOcNU&t=248s According to]] Wrestling/TommyDreamer, during a road trip in 2000, Sandman overdosed on Nubain and was ''clinically dead'' for some time before being rushed to hospital. He was miraculously revived, [[{{Determinator}} and he ended up wrestling at the scheduled card that night]].
59	* PajamaCladHero: Makes sense, since he's the ''Sandman''.
60	* PowerStable:
61	** (in Wrestling/{{N\|ational Wrestling Alliance}}WA New Jersey): Hot Stuff International
62	** (in TNA in 2003): Extreme Revolution
63	** (in XPW): The Enterprise
64	** (in WEW, the successor to Wrestling/{{FMW}}): Fuyuki's Army
65	** (in [=WWECW=]): The ECW Originals
66	** (in TNA)
67	*** Extreme Revolution, with Wrestling/PerrySaturn, Justin Credible, Raven and Wrestling/NewJack.
68	*** [=EV 2.0=]
69	* RedBaron: "The Hardcore Icon", "Hak" (which is his real life longtime nickname).
70	* TheSandman: As his stage name suggests, he's first based on this legendary character to later evolve into a Hardcore legend, also having "[[Music/{{Metallica}} Enter Sandman]]" as his entrance song (which is based on this character).
71	* ShooOutTheClowns: The Sandman faced The Zombie on the first episode of the relaunch. {{Creator/SyFy}} wanted gimmicks like a zombie on the show and WWE made Heyman do it, so he did. Out of spite. By putting that zombie in the ring and having The Sandman completely plaster him.
72	* SmokingIsCool: Along with drinking on his way to the ring, he'd also smoke. [[Wrestling/HulkHogan No milk and vitamins]] for him.
73	* SquashMatch:
74	** Pinned Chad Austin in 9 '''seconds''' at ECW's March 5, 1994 show.
75	** Flattened the Zombie on the first episode of [=WWECW=].
76	* TechnicianVsPerformer: No one would ever claim that Sandman was a technical star alongside Wrestling/ChrisBenoit, Wrestling/BretHart, or Wrestling/DeanMalenko, but he was as loved in ECW as Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin, [[Wrestling/DwayneJohnson The Rock]], or Wrestling/RicFlair. He also performs purely for the love of the sport, as he made several smart investments with his paychecks and has been independently wealthy for years.
77	* WearingAFlagOnYourHead: Or pants; he wrestled in American flag colored pants for a time. Wrestling/JoeyStyles called him a "disgrace to the American flag."
78	* WoodenKatanasAreEvenBetter: UsefulNotes/{{Singapore}} canes are his favored weapons.
79	%%* WouldHitAGirl: Wrestling/KellyKelly, of all people.
80	* WrestlingDoesntPay: A wrestling pimp. More noticeable in WCW, amusingly, since the "ultra violence" wasn't as much of a distraction as in, say, ECW, nor was that kind of thing the norm such as in XPW.
81	* WrestlingFamily: Was originally managed by his wife Lori who used the name Peaches. His son Tyler was involved in the feud with Raven in 1996-1997 and tried his hand at wrestling in 2008-2009 as Twisted Sand, but nothing seems to have come from that.
82	* WrestlingPsychology: An unlikely choice, but he did have his own version. By busting himself open before he got to the ring, it nullified any threats his opponents might make about making him bleed.
83	* YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle: At ECW's final [=PPV=], ''Guilty As Charged 2001'', he defeated ECW World Heavyweight Champion Steve Corino and Justin Credible in a three-way-dance for the title. Then Rhino came down and issued a challenge. Sandman called for the bell...and Rhino proceeded to squash him for the title.

Context Wrestling / JimFullington